The very many questions-not-worth-their-own-thread question thread XXIV

[timtofly]

Semi-serious answer:

I really think the hippies ruined beards for evangelicals. Around WWI, beards in the US fell out of favor as you couldn't have a beard and get a proper seal on a gas mask. So they weren't taboo, just out of fashion but then the hippies came along with beards and free love and their demon music and taboo'd the crap out of beards for the jesus freaks FOREVER.

The hippies were the Jesus Freaks. Conservatives just stopped the tradition.

It is not forever either. The extremes from both ends, are gradually coming back towards the middle like any other phenomenon that swings wildly at first and then settles back down to equilibrium.

@ Traitorfish

The Amish have always been conservative and still have beards. Being like Jesus would be regardless of culture, not against it. It has nothing to do with appearance anyways.

 

[_random_]

Semi-serious question, but why don't evangelical and fundamentalist Christian men grow Jesus-beards? They seem to place a lot of emphasis on emulating Jesus, so I'm wondering why this doesn't extend to the facial hair as it does in some other religions, like conservative strains of Islam and Eastern Orthodoxy (albeit in the latter case now restricted to the clergy)?

Wait, what gives you the impression that beards are restricted to clergy in Eastern Orthodoxy? Most of the men at my parish have beards, and I think it's typically encouraged by some facets of Orthodox culture (Russia under Tsar Peter I being an obvious exception). Some people will occasionally cite St. Clement of Alexandria, who strongly discouraged cleanshavenness because he wanted to Christianize Roman ideals of gentlemanly behavior, in defense of this. And while priests will grow beards more often than not, there are exceptions, like US military chaplains and people who just can't grow beards. And it's not always the big full beard you think of. Like this is my priest from back home in Ohio:

As for evangelicals, I think the hippie thing has something to do with it, although that's becoming increasingly irrelavent. And I do see more and more beards among evangelical types, like Mark Driscoll's fittingly douchey stubble:

Or whatever the proper and non-racist name is for whatever Francis Chan has going on here:

The evangelical blog Out of Ur even posted a cartoon about various ministerial beards:

Of course, none of those really fit with what I think of as a "Jesus beard," but the Anglican priest who ran my conservative protestant high school comes close:

 

[Traitorfish]

Interesting, thanks! I was mostly going by a very rough impression that only Orthodox clergy went bearded as a rule these days, but I'm happy to be corrected.

 

[Synobun]

As an individual that does not have a business but provides professional services in exchange for cash in Ontario, how much money do I need to make per year before I must report it on taxes? This is under the assumption that it is the only income.

I seem to recall reading somewhere that someone in Ontario needs to make over $10,000 a year in order to file their taxes and, you know... pay taxes, but I can't find the resource again and my Google Fu seems to be failing me. If that figure is still accurate, what do you do for taxes? Do you just not fill out the sheet and pretty much ignore tax season if you're below that figure?

 

[Arakhor]

I'm sure that the Canadian government has a page or two about your Inland Revenue or maybe even its own site. I'm sure that's where you'll find the answers.

 

[Cutlass]

Even if you don't owe any money, it doesn't hurt to file the tax return. Just so there's a record of it down the road.

 

[Synobun]

I'm sure that the Canadian government has a page or two about your Inland Revenue or maybe even its own site. I'm sure that's where you'll find the answers.

Unfortunately, it doesn't. Or at least, I can't find it. Hence me asking here.

Even if you don't owe any money, it doesn't hurt to file the tax return. Just so there's a record of it down the road.

I was thinking as much. I lose out on a few opportunities from the bank if I don't report my taxes such as a line of credit. I'm just wary of spending the money to go to an accountant to get this done if it ends up being the case that there's pretty much no benefit whatsoever. If I do pay taxes, however, then that cost becomes valuable because getting on the bad side of the tax revenue agency before I'm 20 doesn't sound like a great idea.

 

[timtofly]

As an individual that does not have a business but provides professional services in exchange for cash in Ontario, how much money do I need to make per year before I must report it on taxes? This is under the assumption that it is the only income.

I seem to recall reading somewhere that someone in Ontario needs to make over $10,000 a year in order to file their taxes and, you know... pay taxes, but I can't find the resource again and my Google Fu seems to be failing me. If that figure is still accurate, what do you do for taxes? Do you just not fill out the sheet and pretty much ignore tax season if you're below that figure?

Do you not have access to a tax form that you can fill out on your own? Doing that would answer your questions, without going to an advisor. That is how it works in the US. Canada may be different. Of course if you have to do a lot of adjustments, that may get confusing.

 

[Cutlass]

Unfortunately, it doesn't. Or at least, I can't find it. Hence me asking here.



I was thinking as much. I lose out on a few opportunities from the bank if I don't report my taxes such as a line of credit. I'm just wary of spending the money to go to an accountant to get this done if it ends up being the case that there's pretty much no benefit whatsoever. If I do pay taxes, however, then that cost becomes valuable because getting on the bad side of the tax revenue agency before I'm 20 doesn't sound like a great idea.

Do you need to go to an accountant? There should be a simple form for low income people.

 

[Synobun]

Do you need to go to an accountant? There should be a simple form for low income people.

I got it printed out at the bank by my financial advisor. There are a bunch of things that don't make sense, and I don't know if it's the correct form. It makes me want to just go to an accountant the first time I file taxes just to get acquainted.

 

[Zelig]

As an individual that does not have a business but provides professional services in exchange for cash in Ontario, how much money do I need to make per year before I must report it on taxes? This is under the assumption that it is the only income.

I seem to recall reading somewhere that someone in Ontario needs to make over $10,000 a year in order to file their taxes and, you know... pay taxes, but I can't find the resource again and my Google Fu seems to be failing me. If that figure is still accurate, what do you do for taxes? Do you just not fill out the sheet and pretty much ignore tax season if you're below that figure?

If you're self-employed you're automatically considered to have a business.

You probably need to file in any case, you owe CPP on amounts above $3500, but you should claim legitimate business expenses (from what I recall of your work, computer, internet, home office costs, etc.) as deductions.

You'll also probably qualify for sales tax and GST rebates as an individual.

I was thinking as much. I lose out on a few opportunities from the bank if I don't report my taxes such as a line of credit. I'm just wary of spending the money to go to an accountant to get this done if it ends up being the case that there's pretty much no benefit whatsoever. If I do pay taxes, however, then that cost becomes valuable because getting on the bad side of the tax revenue agency before I'm 20 doesn't sound like a great idea.

http://www.studiotax.com/en/

 

[Synobun]

If you're self-employed you're automatically considered to have a business.

You probably need to file in any case, you owe CPP on amounts above $3500, but you should claim legitimate business expenses (from what I recall of your work, computer, internet, home office costs, etc.) as deductions.

You'll also probably qualify for sales tax and GST rebates as an individual.



http://www.studiotax.com/en/

Huh, $3500. I'm just under that this year. Thanks for the link to Studio Tax, I've never heard of that. I'll download it and have a look around. If I can reliably avoid going to an accountant and paying out the ass for that then all the better.

 

[Borachio]

Right.

If I understood it correctly Middle Earth (or whatever it was called - I can't remember), had periodic severe cold spells lasting decades(?).

How did they manage to survive without growing any crops for decades?

Or were there some special cold-adapted crops?

Or were the interglacial periods of such fecundity that they managed to store enough to last for decades?

 

[timtofly]

Right.

If I understood it correctly Middle Earth (or whatever it was called - I can't remember), had periodic severe cold spells lasting decades(?).

How did they manage to survive without growing any crops for decades?

Or were there some special cold-adapted crops?

Or were the interglacial periods of such fecundity that they managed to store enough to last for decades?

Thrones do not have need for such petty things as nourishment and human endeavor.

 

[Borachio]

That's a good answer!

But I've this strange feeling it isn't correct.

 

[_random_]

What's a good cheap sneaker for someone with flat feet?

 

[Synobun]

Right.

If I understood it correctly Middle Earth (or whatever it was called - I can't remember), had periodic severe cold spells lasting decades(?).

How did they manage to survive without growing any crops for decades?

Or were there some special cold-adapted crops?

Or were the interglacial periods of such fecundity that they managed to store enough to last for decades?

I imagine it'd be a combination of meat diets and magical assistance. I'm not too intertwined within Tolkien's lore but the wizards that remain are seen in pretty high regard around the entire region, even that crazy guy in the woods. If they can bring down mountains and corrupt individuals and take control of their minds, I imagine growing crops or at least making them safe from rot is within their grasp.

 

[Borachio]

Ah. I've misled you. I'm referring to Game of Thrones and not Tolkien at all. I just called it Middle Earth because I don't remember what the 7 kingdoms bit of land is called. The 7 kingdoms, perhaps? Dunno.

Winterfall, or something.

edit: Westeros! That's it.

 

[Synobun]

Ah. I've misled you. I'm referring to Game of Thrones and not Tolkien at all. I just called it Middle Earth because I don't remember what the 7 kingdoms bit of land is called. The 7 kingdoms, perhaps? Dunno.

Winterfall, or something.

edit: Westeros! That's it.

Well, that's... not my fault.

No idea, I haven't read the books. I'm pretty sure there's still arable land in the south and there's plenty of discussion throughout the show about the regions having low grain stores even though winter is drawing near. I imagine grains in their universe don't spoil.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

What's a good cheap sneaker for someone with flat feet?

Buy a cheap sneaker and buy good supporting insoles.